The North Carolina State Laboratory of Public Health has confirmed the fifth case of rabies in Orange County this year.

The latest incident involved a bat, according to Orange County Animal Services, and originated when a bat was spotted inside the fireplace of a Mebane residence.

Officials say residents immediately left the house and call Animal Control. There were two dogs and a cat in the home at the time but all were up to date on vaccinations, according to a release. That vaccination history allows for the pets to receive a booster shot. Pets who are not up to date must either be destroyed or quarantined for a period of up to four months, according to state law.

Orange County had 10 positive cases of rabies recorded in 2015, which was down dramatically from 23 the year before.

Orange County Animal Services is hosting another low-cost rabies vaccination clinic from five o’clock until seven o’clock Thursday evening at the Eno River Farmers Market in Hillsborough.

For a full calendar of low-cost rabies clinics click here.

Related Stories
‹
Orange County Commissioners Issue Lynching Apology, Approve Historical Markers
The Orange County Board of County Commissioners approved resolutions last Tuesday acknowledging and apologizing for all "criminal acts of racial terror lynching” in Orange County.
As NC Monkeypox Cases Rise, Mayor Seils Urges Those Eligible to Get Vaccinated
Mayor Damon Seils and a UNC student both received their monkeypox vaccine and are encouraging others to do the same.
Orange County Presents Plans for Inaugural ‘Beacon’ Art Festival in Summer 2022
A new arts festival is making its way to Orange County next year. The Beacon will be a countywide biennial public art festival scheduled to occur throughout Chapel Hill, Carrboro, and Hillsborough in the summer of 2022.
OC Buckhorn Area Plan Highlights Residents Living in 'Development Districts'
After years of back-and-forth planning, 900 acres of developable land are under consideration by the City of Mebane and Orange County.
Orange County Government Prepares for 2020 Census
The 2020 Census is around the corner in April and local government is working hard to prepare. Census results help determine how $675 billion dollars of federal funding flows into states and communities each year. The results also determine how many seats in Congress each state will get. The U.S. Census Bureau has counted the countries’ […]
Orange County to Receive Midterm Elections Report Card
Orange County’s elections director Rachel Raper will present a report to the Board of Commissioners on Tuesday night breaking down midterm election results in the county. While the political side of November’s midterms, who won and by how much, has been analyzed many times over by newsrooms and politicos across the country, local demographic information […]
North Carolina AG on Opioid Epidemic: 'We Don't Imprison People for Other Illnesses'
There has been a paradigm shift in how law enforcement is handling the opioid crisis in North Carolina. According to Carrboro police captain Chris Atack, this is a shift from punishing addicts to, in some cases, saving their lives. “I think the opioids have kind of given us a window to shift our paradigm a […]
Orange County Names New Health Director
Orange County has named Quintana Stewart as the county’s new health director. Stewart comes to Orange County with more than 16 years of public health experience in various roles at the Forsyth County Department of Public Health. Stewart is succeeding Dr. Colleen Bridger, who resigned in February 2017 to take a similar post in San […]
Orange County Health Director Leaving for San Antonio Post
Orange County health director Dr. Colleen Bridger has announced her resignation effective February 23, 2017. The announcement came in a release on Monday saying that Bridger had accepted the position of public health director with the San Antonio Metropolitan Health District. Bridger said in the release that it was not an easy choice to leave […]
Fifth Rabies Case Confirmed in Orange County for 2016
The North Carolina State Laboratory of Public Health has confirmed the fifth case of rabies in Orange County this year. The latest incident involved a bat, according to Orange County Animal Services, and originated when a bat was spotted inside the fireplace of a Mebane residence. Officials say residents immediately left the house and call […]
›